Health Registers
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To gather information on all accidents in Iceland by type, age, gender, location, etc. To be used for preventive work, policy-making, and scientific research.
Content: Minimum information on accidents, injuries, and property damage in road accidents.
Period: Formal registration began on 1 October 2001 and ended in autumn 2022 when the register was abolished.
Source of data: Certain data were transmitted electronically from the registration systems of those who recorded, i.e. hospitals, health centres, the police, the Administration of Occupational Safety and Health, and insurance companies.
Items to be recorded: On the accident: date, time, category of accidents, municipality, and comment. On the individual: ID number and gender. On vehicles: ID number and property damage.
List of variables: Accident Register - list of variables (Icelandic)
Comparable or related data sets: All registered accidents received a unique event number, also recorded in the registration system of those who sent data to the register. This created a link between the Accident Register and the databases of those who sent data to the register.
Processing and publication: Statistics on accidents are published on the Directorate of Health's webpage.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To monitor various birth outcomes. Gathering statistics and comparing them with statistics from other countries. The register is also useful for scientific research. The Birth Register participates in Nordic cooperation.
Content: Certain data on all births in Iceland as of 1972.
Period: Electronic registration as of 1981.
Source of data: Data from all birthplaces in Iceland are registered in the Birth Register. Data is transferred electronically from healthcare institutions to the Birth Register.
Items to be recorded: Various aspects of pregnancy, birth, problems during birth, intervention, and birth. Among other things, the place and time of birth, the length of gestation, previous births, the treatment during birth, the weight and size of children, and the diagnosis of mother and child are recorded.
List of variables: Birth Register - list of variables (Icelandic)
Comparable or related data sets: Comparable registers are maintained in Nordic countries.
Processing and publication: The Birth Register has published an annual report since 1995. Statistics from the birth registers are sent to international databases and published.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Icelandic Cancer Association
Purpose: To gather information on all cancers diagnosed in Iceland. The register is intended to provide cancer information necessary for quality control in healthcare institutions and scientific research with a focus on epidemiological studies.
Content: Certain data on all cancers diagnosed in Iceland since 1955.
Period: Electronic register as of 1955.
Source of data: Data is collected from hospitals, self-employed healthcare practitioners, laboratories, and the Directorate of Health.
Items to be recorded: Registration in the Cancer Register is in accordance with the European Network of Cancer Registries (ENCR) and the International Association of Cancer Registries (IACR). Information on diagnosis, pathology, treatment, and outcome is recorded.
List of variables: Cancer Register - list of variables (Icelandic)
Comparable or related datasets: Cancer registries in the Nordic countries.
Processing and publication: Statistical data is published on the Icelandic Cancer Societies' website. Statistics from the Icelandic Cancer Register are sent to international databases. Data from the Cancer Register are also used for scientific research.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To gather information on cancer screening in Iceland. The register aims to provide information on individuals screening history and to support cancer screening in Iceland. The register is also helpful in monitoring screening attendance, for comparison between countries, in the quality assessment of cancer screenings, and for scientific research.
Content: Certain data on cancer screenings, i.e., cervical and breast cancer screenings.
Period: Electronic register as of 1985.
Source of data: The National Registry, healthcare institutions, research laboratories, and medical specialists in private practice.
Items to be recorded: The date of the invitation and the date of screening, the location of the screening, the result of the screening, the diagnosis, surgical procedure codes, etc.
Comparable or related datasets: Comparable registries are maintained in Nordic countries and elsewhere.
Processing and publication: The Directorate of Health publishes the annual results of cancer screenings according to the quality indicators defined by the office. Screening statistics are sent annually to Nordscreen, which compares the outcomes of cervical cancer screenings in Nordic countries.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To collect information on causes of death in Iceland in one register, using international classification systems to code them consistently. The register can be used to monitor the incidence of deaths, monitor their development and compare with other countries.
Content: A registered cause of death, electronic as of 1971.
Period: Electronic registration of deaths began in 1971.
Source of data: Original death certificates are regularly received from the National Registry of Iceland.
Items to be recorded: Personal identification, causes of death, etc., are recorded according to a form for death certificates. All causes of death and contributory diseases have been coded by the International Classification of Diseases and Causes of Death, ICD-10, since its entry into force in 1996.
List of variables: Causes of Death Register - list of variables (Icelandic)
Comparable or related data sets: Comparable registers are maintained in all countries, and the World Health Organization collects worldwide data on causes of death.
Processing and publication: The causes of death figures are published on the Directorate of Health's web and sent to international databases.
History: A database for causes of death was created by the Directorate of Health in 2012. It contains electronic data from 1971. Data before 1971 are available in published statistical reports from Statistics Iceland.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: The Icelandic Heart Association
Purpose: To collect information on all registered cases of acute myocardial infarction in Iceland and details on risk factors and treatment among individuals aged 25-74. The register intends to provide information on changes in coronary heart disease prevalence and assess to what extent such changes are related to known risk factors, lifestyle, health service, and social conditions.
Content: Specific data on all cases of acute myocardial infarction diagnosed since 1981 among people aged 25-74 years old. Based on the Monica study, an international study which was conducted in collaboration with and under the supervision of the World Health Organization. Further details are on the Icelandic Heart Association's website.
Period: Electronic register as of 1981.
Source of data: Data from medical records in hospitals and healthcare institutions as well as from the Hospital Discharge Register and Causes of Death Register maintained by the Directorate of Health.
Items to be recorded: Diagnosis, symptoms, ECG development, ECG results, thrombolytic therapy, previous myocardial infarction, and mortality.
Comparable or related data sets: Participating countries in the MONICA WHO project from 1981-1992.
Processing and publication: The results of the MONICA study in Iceland 1981-1992 were published in the Directorate of Health Health Reports, No. 2/1997. Data from the Coronary Event Register is also used for scientific research.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: The main objective of the study on Health and Well-being in Iceland is to assess adults' health, well-being, and welfare regularly. In addition to providing important information on health and well-being every five years, the study's results allow for observations of changes that may occur over time. The results of this study assist the Directorate of Health, the government, universities, and others involved in important decisions regarding health and welfare in Iceland.
Content: Data from questionnaires in 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2017.
Period: Electronic register with data from 2007, 2009, 2012, and 2017.
Source of data: Questionnaire survey responses were scanned into the register from 2007-2017. Some participants answered electronically in 2017, and all responded electronically in 2022.
Items to be recorded: Various things regarding health, well-being, lifestyle, and diseases in Iceland.
List of variables: Health and Wellbeing in Iceland - list of variables (Icelandic)
Processing and publication: The Directorate of Health analyzes the data and publishes the study's main results on its website. The results are also used in the office's internal work and as a basis for strategic actions. The results are also used in Public Health Indicators.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To obtain an overview of the activities of health institutions, the health problems of those who use the services, and the solutions provided. The register helps monitor the scope and use of the service, for the frequency of diseases and solutions, and for comparisons between institutions and countries.
Content: Defined data for all discharges in Icelandic health institutions from 1999 onwards. Data on the activities of outpatient departments and emergency departments since 2010.
Period: Electronic file as of 1999. Annual data until 2010; as of 2011, data from hospitals and health institutions have been submitted electronically and in real-time.
Source of data: Data is collected in real-time from hospitals and health institutions, where it is recorded in electronic medical records.
Items to be recorded: The identity of the health institution, discharges and the date of arrival at the outpatient unit, diagnoses, surgical procedures, etc.
List of variables: Hospital Discharge Register - list of variables (Icelandic)
Comparable or related databases: Register of Primary Health Care Contacts and Register of Contacts with Medical Specialists in Private Practice. Similar registers are maintained in Nordic countries.
Processing and publication: Statistics on discharges, bed days, diseases, and surgical procedures are published on the Directorate of Health's webpage. Data from the Hospital Data Register is also used for scientific research.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To gather knowledge on prescriptions and the use of medicines, to monitor prescribing and the use of pharmaceuticals. Information from the database may be used for scientific research. Physicians involved in clients' treatment have access to their clients' pharmaceutical information, and individuals have access to their use of pharmaceuticals through the web Heilsuvera.is.
Content: The Prescription Medicines Register contains information on electronic and all dispensing of prescriptions, both electronic and paper. As of 2013, the register covers all electronic prescriptions outside hospitals and the dispensing of prescription pharmaceuticals outside hospitals. The database does not include the use of pharmaceuticals in hospitals.
Period: Electronic register as of 2002.
Source of data: Information from electronic prescriptions, all dispensing of prescriptions from pharmacies, prescriptions to nursing homes, and paper prescriptions registered in pharmacies and sent electronically to the Prescription Medicines Register.
Items to be recorded: Various aspects concerning the prescription and dispensing of pharmaceuticals and information on prescribed pharmaceuticals. The date and place of dispensing, ATC code of the medicinal product, instructions for use, and information on the prescriber.
List of variables: Prescription Medicines Register - list of variables (Icelandic)
Comparable or related data sets: All Nordic countries operate some national Prescriptions Medicines Register.
Processing and publication: The Directorate of Health publishes statistics on the use of pharmaceuticals regularly.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To collect the personal identification numbers of those individuals who have withdrawn their consent to have their biological specimens stored in a biobank for use in scientific research. Thus, those responsible for scientific research can ensure that relevant biological specimens are not used for such purposes.
Content: Data on individuals who have prohibited the use of their biological specimens for scientific research or stored in a biobank for that purpose.
Period: As of 2001.
Source of data: Forms of opt-out submitted by individuals. The opt-out must be submitted on paper and signed by the individual or the guardian.
Items to be registered: the name, ID number, date of the request, and legal residence. Data are saved in an encrypted form.
Comparable or related data sets: A resignation register relating to a health database was maintained by the Directorate of Health until 2014 but was abolished when the Health Database Act, No. 139/1998, was repealed.
Processing and publication: Figures are published annually for the number of people listed in the Register of Biobanks Opt-Outs.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: The Chief Epidemiologist
Processor: The Chief Epidemiologist
Purpose: To collect information on serious diseases that may threaten public health. These include infectious diseases, diseases caused by toxic and radioactive substances, unexpected events, immunizations (vaccination), and antibiotic use. This information is necessary to prevent infection, as defined in the Act on Health Security and Communicable Diseases no. 19/1997.
Content: Personally identifiable information on serious diseases (diseases subject to registration), pathogens, and vaccinations. In addition, non-personally identifiable information is collected on other infectious diseases (notifiable diseases) and antibiotic use.
Period: Collection of information on communicable diseases was carried out by the Medical Director of Health from 1881 and by the Chief Epidemiologist since 1 January 1998, with the introduction of the Act on Health Security and Communicable Diseases, No. 19/1997. Data on vaccinations are available as of 2002 in the Vaccination Register.
Source of data: Healthcare professionals and laboratories.
Items to be recorded: Diseases subject to registration: A name, ID number, address, diagnosis of a disease/pathogen, responsible physician, and various epidemiological information on the transmission, the country of transmission, etc., depending on the nature of the disease.
Notifiable disease: ICD-10 diagnosis, gender, age, date of diagnosis, and country of residence.
Vaccinations: The name, ID number, address, name and content of the vaccine, date of vaccination, place of vaccination, and the physician responsible.
Antibiotic use: Antibiotic identification (ATC code), date, age, sex, location (region), and speciality of the prescribing physician.
Comparable or related data sets: Information and statistics from the Register of Communicable Diseases are published on the Directorate of Health's webpage. Data is also sent to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization in accordance with international obligations.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To gather knowledge about the activities of medical specialists in private practice, monitor the service, ensure its quality and assess its effectiveness. The register is used to monitor the scope and use of the service and to monitor the frequency of diseases and treatments.
Content: Certain data on all contacts with the medical specialists in private practice as of 2008.
Period: Data as of 2008.
Source of data: Data originating from the medical record systems of medical specialists in private practice.
Items to be recorded: The municipality of permanent residence, medical doctor's identification number, date of contact, type of contact, type of employee, occasion, diagnosis, and solutions, by the recommendation of the Medical Director of Health on minimum registration of communication.
Similar or related data sets: Register of Primary Health Care Contacts and Hospital Discharge Register.
Processing and publication: Figures on the number of contacts have been published in Talnabrunnur, an electronic newsletter on Health Information.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: The Directorate of Health and Stiki ehf.
Purpose: To assess nursing home residents' health and need for healthcare. The register contains information collected with an interRAI assessment tool.
Content: InterRAI assessment for all residents of nursing homes in Iceland.
Period: Electronic registration from 2003
Source of data: Registered nurses and other healthcare professionals in nursing homes are responsible for recording interRAI assessments.
Items to be recorded: Various information concerning nursing home residents' mental and physical health and various demographic data according to the interRAI standardized assessment tool.
Comparable or related databases: InterRAI HC, InterRAI MH and InterRAI PAC. These registries are used both in Iceland and abroad.
Processing and publication: Interactive dashboard on the quality of care in nursing homes. The dashboard can monitor the quality of nursing and care in Icelandic nursing homes.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To maintain a register of licenses to practice for healthcare practitioners, license numbers, and other specific details of those who have been granted rights to work as healthcare professionals in Iceland, by the Ministry of Health and Social Security, later by the Ministry of Health and now the Directorate of Health.
Content: Data on all healthcare professionals who have been granted a license to work in the healthcare sector in Iceland. Each healthcare practitioner is allocated a unique identification number, which remains unchanged in the register, even if the person in question no longer works as a healthcare practitioner. A list of the health professions for which the Directorate of Health maintains a list can be seen on the website of the Directorate. The license list is updated in real time.
Period: A register of all healthcare professionals currently licensed to practice and have received a license since the issuing of licenses began at the Ministry of Health and Social Security, later the Ministry of Health, and the Directorate of Health.
Source of data: Data from the Ministry of Health and Social Security, later the Ministry of Health, which granted licenses to practice to 31 March 2008. As of 1 April 2008, the issuing of licenses to healthcare professionals has been carried out by the Directorate of Health.
Items to be recorded: The unique number of a healthcare practitioner, name, ID number, gender, profession, specialist license, speciality if applicable, the validity date, country of issue of the license, and country of examination.
Comparable or related data sets: Register of Operating Parties in Health Service.
Processing and publication: The Register of Licensed Healthcare Practitioners is accessible on the website of the Directorate of Health. The license list is updated daily. Statistics on healthcare professionals are also available on the website of the Directorate of Health.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: The Directorate of Health and Stiki ehf.
Purpose: To share information on the assessment of individuals' needs for nursing homes between the committees that carry out the assessment and nursing homes. The register also provides an overview of the number of people waiting for nursing homes.
Content: Social and health information on older people applying for a nursing home as of 1992.
Period: Electronic registration as of 1992.
Source of data: The committee in each health region that carries out the assessment registers relevant data into the Register of Nursing Home Pre-Admission Assessments.
Items to be recorded: Date of assessment, social conditions, physical and mental health, skills, diseases, number of points from assessment, classification of need, and requests for a nursing home.
Processing and publication: Statistics on waiting for nursing homes are published.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To get an overview of primary health care activities, reasons for communication with primary health care, diagnosis of health problems, and the solutions provided. The register can monitor the scope and use of primary health care and disease prevalence and compare between countries.
Content: As of 2004, specific data on all contacts with primary health care. The register contains information on the use of health care services.
Period: Electronic data since 2004. Data were collected annually until 2016, but since then, data has been collected electronically and in real-time.
Source of data: Electronic data is collected in real-time from each health care centre in Iceland where it is recorded.
Items to be recorded: The municipality of permanent residence, health centre, date of contact, type of contact, type of employee, the reason for contact, diagnosis, and solutions are recorded, by the instructions of the Medical Director of Health on minimum registration of communication in healthcare centres.
List of variables: Register of Primary Health Care Contacts - list of variables (Icelandic)
Comparable or related data sets: Hospital Discharge Register and Register of Contacts with Medical Specialists in Private Practice.
Processing and publication: An interactive dashboard is published on the primary health care activities. Statistics from the Register of Primary Health Care Contacts are also sent to international databases. The data from the register is also used in the primary health care funding model in Iceland.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To monitor the frequency of sterilizations in Iceland by periods, age groups, etc., and compare the frequency between countries.
Content: Certain data on all sterilization in Iceland from 1998-2018.
Period: Electronic register from 1998-2018.
Source of data: Certain information is recorded from application forms.
Items to be recorded: Age, municipality, marital status, criteria for application, health institution, and the date and type of surgical procedure.
List of variables: Register of Sterilizations - list of variables (Icelandic)
Comparable or related data sets: Comparable registries are maintained in Nordic countries.
Processing and publication: Statistics were published on the website of the Directorate of Health until 2018. In 2019, a new law was passed, and the Directorate of Health subsequently stopped maintaining a register of sterilizations.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: Directorate of Health
Processor: Directorate of Health
Purpose: To monitor the frequency of terminations of pregnancy in Iceland by age groups, residence, etc., and compare the frequency between countries. Information from the register is a guide in prevention work.
Content: Certain data from 1984 on all terminations of pregnancy in Iceland.
Period: Electronic register as of 1984.
Source of data: Until 2018, and in accordance with Act No. 25/1975, certain information was recorded by an application sent to the Directorate of Health after each procedure. As of 2020 and following the new Termination of Pregnancy Act, No. 43/2019, the Medical Director of Health's Register of Terminations of Pregnancy has been based on diagnoses (ICD-10) and surgical codes (NCSP) concerning the intervention in question and recorded in electronic medical health records. The data is sent electronically to the Directorate of Health.
Items to be recorded: Until 2018: age, municipality, employment status, marital status, contraception, reasons for termination of pregnancy, gestational age, health institution, date, and type of procedure. As of 2020: age, municipality, health institution, date, type of surgery, and gestational age.
List of variables: Register of Terminations of Pregnancy - list of variables (Icelandic)
Comparable or related data sets: Comparable registers are maintained in Nordic countries.
Processing and publication: Statistics on terminations of pregnancy are published on the Directorate of Health's webpage.
-Automatic translation
Responsible party: The Chief Epidemiologist.
Processor: The Chief Epidemiologist.
Purpose: To monitor participation in vaccinations in Iceland and to estimate the risk of outbreaks of diseases that are vaccinated against.
Content: Information on all vaccinations in Iceland.
Period: Electronic data on vaccinations from 2002/2003.
Data source: Electronically recorded vaccinations in healthcare facilities and schools in Iceland.
Items to be recorded: Name, ID number, date of birth and residence of the vaccinated person. The date and place of vaccination. The name of a vaccine with its ingredients.
Comparable or related data sets: An indicator for comparable records exists in other Nordic countries.
Processing and publication: Annually, information on vaccination participation is collected and sent to international databases, and data is also processed with healthcare providers in Iceland.
History: A central register of vaccinations did not exist in Iceland until the establishment of the Vaccination Register. Data on vaccinations older than in 2002 are only available at the places where vaccination was carried out.
Service provider
Directorate of Health